Opinion | The world must see how Indian security forces saved a child from terrorists’ bullets in Kashmir
There have been four terror attacks in the valley in the last 48 hours, and in all the four attacks, the terrorists were eliminated, Operation All Out against terrorists is on in the Kashmir valley. The mission of security forces is clear: each terrorist shall be eliminated, come what may.
Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists hiding inside a mosque in Model Town, Sopore on Wednesday morning attacked a CRPF patrolling party killing a head constable Deep Chand Verma. During the encounter that followed, a 65-year-old man Bashir Ahmed Khan with his three-year-old grandson drove his car in the line of fire.
In order to save his grandson, Bashir Ahmed Khan, a resident of Mustafabad, Srinagar, left the child inside the car and tried to flee, but was caught in the cross-firing. He died on the spot. The child came out of the car and sat on his grandpa’s blood-stained body, crying, even as terrorists continued firing bullets indiscriminately. Pictures of the child crying over the body lying on the street caused nationwide outrage over this barbaric act by terrorists.
CRPF jawans positioned bulletproof cars around the child, and one of the policemen ran into the street and rescued the child. When the weeping child was taken away in a jeep, he was heard saying, “Mujhe Mummy Ke Paas Pahuncha Do. Ghar Jaana hai” (Take me to my mother, I want to go home).
These words and pictures of a weeping, innocent child will continue to haunt the minds of millions of Indians for years to come. The grandfather, who was hit by terrorists’ bullets, lay on the ground crying for help, and the child stood helpless. The man died soon after, and the weeping child, in order to save his grandpa, sat on his chest. Even then, the terrorists continued to rain bullets.
The child did not know what was happening and why was his grandpa was bleeding. CRPF jawans waiting at the other end knew that the child might soon become the target of terrorists. Unaware of the impending danger, the toddler went up to a CRPF jawan hiding. He signalled the child to stop, even as bullets continue to rain.
The CRPF patrol party created a secure cordon around the child, brought bulletproof cars to shield the toddler, and one of the J&K policemen ran into the cross-firing, carried the child into his arms, and ran back to safety. Inside the police jeep, the weeping toddler was given chocolates and biscuits by the jawans. The child was later handed over to his relieved parents.
This is not the first time that terrorists have tried to kill a child. This is the second one in less than a week of the grenade attack by terrorists in Anantnag in which a four-year-old boy was killed along with a CRPF jawan.
The inspector general of Kashmir Police Vijay Kumar said, two LeT terrorists, one of them a Pakistani named Usman Bhai and the other a local youth named Adil, fired 30 bullets from inside the Sopore mosque before fleeing. Three CRPF jawans, Rajesh Bhoye, Deepak Patil and Nilesh Chawde, were injured and are being treated in 92 Base hospital.
The IGP said, the CRPF jawans could have easily killed the two terrorists who fled, but their first priority was to rescue the child, and the terrorists took advantage of this.
There have been four terror attacks in the valley in the last 48 hours, and in all the four attacks, the terrorists were eliminated, Operation All Out against terrorists is on in the Kashmir valley. The mission of security forces is clear: each terrorist shall be eliminated, come what may.
Terrorists are fast losing the support of the common people in Kashmir valley. The terror groups are under pressure from their Pakistani masters to carry out more attacks to divert India’s attention from its military standoff against China on the Line of Actual Control. China has already contacted Al Badr terror group to carry out more attacks on Indian security forces, and its lackey Pakistan has dispatched 20,000 troops to Gilgit-Baltistan adjoining Ladakh, to help the Chinese army. Even if China and Pakistan decide to open a two-front battle against India, our armed forces are ready to give them a befitting reply.
Our security forces are doing a great job in the Valley. On one hand, they are trying their best to save civilians from terror attacks, and on the other hand, they are giving terrorists a befitting reply.
The world must sit up and take notice of the innocent child who sat over his dead grandpa’s body weeping, unaware of the bullets being rained by terrorists. The world must know that our security forces have a humane outlook: they refrain from attacking religious places of worship, where terrorists hide, and on the other hand, they ensure that innocents must not die in the crossfire.
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